the new captain
by Bama24
Summary: Albus Potter has received the new Gryffindor quidditch captains badge. How will he do as the new captain? will he gain victory or will the Gryffindor's be after his blood?


The fourteen year old male looked down at the badge that fell from his Hogwarts letter. The 'C' letter that was engraved in the badge stared up into his emerald green eyes. He was pretty sure that everyone in the room was staring at him; it sure did feel like it to him, the tingling feeling on the back of his neck. No other noise of the kitchen table was registering to his ears. All he heard was pure silence, silence where if a feather dropped it would be heard.

_No way can this happening,_ the fourteen year old thought to himself as he picked up the badge, it felt cool to the touch as he ran his thumb over the engraved 'C'. _No way can I be captain, there must be a mistake. Neville must have made a mistake and accidentally put the badge in his letter. Yeah that has to be the reason._

He looked down at his Hogwarts letter, seeing his new list of books that he would and there at the very bottom, was the notice of a second page. His heart raced in anticipation. He was hoping that the second page was to tell him that there was a mistake, and that it belonged to someone else, like a more experience player for example. He turned the page, and there was Neville Longbottom's handwriting.

Dear Albus S. Potter,

You have been chosen as the new Gryffindor quidditch captain. Your previous captain recommended you highly, saying you took charge more than once last year during practices when he needed help. If you don't the badge, please return to me attached to a letter explaining that you don't want it.

Gryffindor head of house

Professor Neville Longbottom

He was really chosen? He was actually recommended by Alex Derby to be the Captain? Albus Potter didn't even think it was possible to be captain as a fourth year student.

"Albus what is it?" asked the voice of his mother? Albus looked up from his daze, and he looked over his mother who was staring at him. Albus wondered how long she was looking at him for. He swallowed drly before answering.

"N-nothing mum," he said. But Albus guessed he wasn't convincing enough.

"Is something wrong with your letter?" Ginny asked, her bright brown eyes were staring in his emerald green ones.

"N-no," he replied shaking his head, _does she know? Did Neville already owl her? Telling her and his dad that he was the new quidditch captain? _

"It cant be anything too bad because you don't get into trouble like your brother does," Ginny responded. Albus's older brother was James Potter, and he was a year older than Albus. James was a trouble maker, just like his name sake. Both James, and their cousin Fred Weasley liked playing jokes on other people, and Albus was one of their targets. "Now tell me, what did you get?"

_I guess she will find out soon enough, especially when James opens his letter,_ Albus thought to himself. Albus looked at the badge that he still held in his palm, and he put it on the table. The 'C' was staring at the ceiling.

"Is that a quidditch badge?" Ginny asked looking at the badge on the table from where she was seating two seats away. Albus nodded slowly. "Albus this is wonderful!" Ginny shot up out her chair, and giggled as she gave him a tight hug as he was still seated in his chair. "This is so wonderful Albus." She told him.

"M-M-mum?" Albus couldn't breathe as she hugged him tight. "I-I can't b-breathe!" he staggered for his breath.

"Sorry," she said as she let go. She quickly kissed him on the cheek as he regained his posture.

"Mum, don't," he said and he quickly wiped the kiss off his cheek.

"My baby is the quidditch captain, oh your father will be so proud of you," she said, her eyes sparkled with joy.

"Gee, I can't wait to see what happens when im made prefect," he said with a grin.

""

"What is going on down here?" said the voice of Harry Potter, who was dressed and ready for work. "Aw I see the Hogwarts letters have come in. Should I get James up?"

Ginny walked over to Harry, she was full of excitement. "Harry, guess what Albus had in his Hogwarts letter this morning?"

"His letter?" Harry replied, and he walked over to the table, taking a piece of bacon off a plate. "Come on Ginny he is fourteen years old, it isn't like he was made prefect, he has another year to go."

"He wasn't made prefect, and I am completely aware of that," Ginny said, putting her hands on her hips, she reminded Harry a lot of his mother-in-law, Molly Weasley. "Besides, it is pretty close to that position."

Harry looked at her, wondering what she was getting at. His eyes darted to his son who was now drinking down his pumpkin juice. Before he looked away, something caught his attention. Something that caught the light of the chandelier, it was small and on the table. His eyes looked down at it, and he saw the 'C' engraving on it. His eyes widened behind his glasses.

"Captain?" Harry said, still looking at the badge. "Albus is the quidditch team captain?"

"That is right," Ginny said with a giggle of excitement.

"That is wonderful son," Harry said with a grin, he was happy for Albus. He always knew that Albus was good at quidditch, and he was better at forming team formations than James was. James was a good Chaser, but he was never captain material. James was better at just playing quidditch, than actually making formations for the team. "I am very proud of you, you beat your old man at something."

"You mean it?" Albus asked. Albus had no idea what to think about himself being captain. Sure he helped the captain out last year, but that was different. This time, it was all up to him. It was all up to him on who played, when to make practices, and make decisions for the team. It was all on his shoulders. Albus felt nervous about it, what if he wasn't good? What if he lets the whole Gryffindor house down? What if they lose every game? The whole Gryffindor house will be out for blood. His loser filled blood.

"Of course I do. I have seen you make plays for when we play at the Burrow, you will make Gryffindor proud," Harry said, and he meant every word that was said. Albus looked at his dad, and a part of him knew that his dad was right. "Believe me Albus, Neville and the last captain made a good choice."

"Thanks dad," Albus said with a grin.

"Is James and Lily up yet?" Ginny said as she pointed her wand at the stove and the skillet floated over to the table gently and it dumped the eggs on a plate in the middle of the table.

"Lily is, she was in the bathroom when I walked by," Harry replied. "As for James, I heard him snoring in his room."

"Oh man James is going to kill me," Albus said standing up, and he walked over to the side where his mum and dad stood. He had no idea what to expect from James. "He has wanted this badge all summer."

"No he hasn't," Ginny said looking at the stove, as more bacon sizzled in the pan. "He just wants you to think that, trust me."

"He told me mum, he told me he wanted to be captain," Albus said.

"Don't worry about James," Harry said, putting a hand on Albus's shoulder. "I will be tight here when you tell him."

"I-I have to t-tell him?" Albus asked, stuttering in the process. He felt like his legs were jello and all he wanted to do was fall to the ground.

"Yes, you will feel better" Harry responded, taking his hand off his son's shoulder.

"But he'll—"

"Oh goodie our letters are here," Lily said, nearly skipping to the table. She tore open her named letter, and pulled out the content. Albus took his seat at the table, his mind racing at what to tell James.

"Good morning Lily," Harry said, smiling at his only daughter. "We didn't hear you come down."

"Morning daddy," She said beaming up at him. She at the middle of the table, and made a face when she saw the contents. "Oh man we are having eggs for breakfast?"

"Yes, you are, and there good for you," Ginny said, and a plate with egg and bacon landed in front of Lily, not a single bit of food dropped from the plate. "Don't even think about giving it to the animals either." Ginny looked at Lily with a stern look. The Potters owned a half-cat and half-kneazle, that was white and grey named Tiger, and they owned two dogs, one was large, black and shaggy, named Snuffles, and the other was smaller and white, named Bell.

"Do I have to eat it daddy?" Lily asked, her eyes sparkled as she looked at Harry. Lily Potter was considered a daddy's girl, and she had Harry tight around her finger since her birth.

"Harry, she is to eat all of her breakfast," Ginny said, hitting him in the arm, glaring daggers at him.

"Listen to your mother," was all Harry said, looking down at his own plate. Albus smirked at his dad's reaction.

…

Later after lunch, Albus and James were outside in the backyard, both sitting on limbs in the tree. Albus had been planning on telling James about getting the Captains badge, but none of the moments before felt like the right time. Albus didn't want his family around when he told James. What other place then their hangout spot than the brothers tree? The two were more than seven feet in the air, but it didn't bother the two. The cool breeze rustled their hair.

"James?" Albus said looking at his brother. "C—can I tell you something?"

"Sure, what is it?" James replied, looking at the sky. Albus felt his heart beating rapidly inside his chest, he was gathering all the strength he could to tell James about the captain badge.

"Igotthebadge," Albus said quickly, his nerves were jumbled. James looked over at him; he didn't understand a word that Albus just said. He found it annoying when Albus got nervous. He never spoke clearly, and all his words were all jumbled together. James remembered that his brother was always like that, even as a little kid.

"I hate it when your nervous Al, just slow down and say it slow," James said, looking back up at the sky.

Albus swallowed, and took a deep breath. "I got the badge," Albus said after a few seconds. His heart beat was still pacing fast. James looked down at the limb he was sitting on.

_So Albus got the badge?_ He thought to himself. James knew his brother was good, he had seen him play many times before. But James was also good; he was one of the best chasers on the team. Was what Albus said was true? Was he really picked as the new captain? James knew he wasn't picked when he saw his letter this morning, and neither was Fred. James knew that he probably wasn't considered captain material, but he still hoped that he would be chosen.

"You're not mad are you?" Albus asked, jogging James from his daze. James looked over at Albus, he could see the worried look on his face. James wanted to be mad, he wanted to yell his brother for something that belonged to him. But James didn't, it was already done, and the captain of last year and Neville, both see something in Albus.

"I should be," James said looking at him, he could see his brothers face was full of concern. "But I am not mad at you. You're just the person that they chose."

Albus felt a wave of relief run through him, and he felt his grip of the limb loosen.

"Thanks James, that means a lot," Albus said, with a grin. He leaned against the tree trunk, feeling the cool wind hit his face. James could tell that Albus seemed at ease now.

"If it means anything, I think they chose a good replacement," James said.

**AN: I have had this idea for a while now, I hope you all do like it. Please let me know what you think.**


End file.
